Effectiveness of Nurse-Driven Protocols in Reducing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are common health care–associated infections linked to indwelling urinary catheters. Nurse-driven protocols (NDPs) empower nurses to direct care without physician orders, potentially enhancing patient outcomes and reducing infection rates. Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of NDPs for preventing CAUTIs and reducing catheter utilization rates. Methods: Databases searched included Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and others. Ten studies involving 27, 965 NDP-treated patients and 30, 230 controls were reviewed, examining catheter utilization rates and CAUTI incidence. Results: Use of NDPs significantly lowered catheter utilization rates (34.84% vs 49.40%) and CAUTI incidence (2.867% vs 6.503%). Risk ratio analysis revealed a 29.48% decrease in catheter utilization and a 55.91% reduced CAUTI risk with NDP implementation. Conclusions: Using NDPs demonstrate superior efficacy in reducing catheter use and CAUTI occurrence compared to traditional methods. Further research is warranted to solidify evidence-based nursing practices in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]